Koneko Love
by AnimeKoneko
Summary: Ichigo is heartbroken after Aoyama dumped her. She vowed to ignore boys forever to prevent her heart from being broken again, but a certain blue-headed, lynx boy, that we all love, helped her to remember that there are many fish in the sea.
1. A broken heart

**Hello readers and reviewers!**

**I, AnimeKoneko, had decided to write a crossover story about Ikuto and Ichigo since I see them as a kawaii pairing, because . . . well . . . they're both cats and who doesn't love Ikuto?!**

**AnimeKoneko****: But before I start with my first chapter, I would like to introduce to you the two lovable konekos: Ichigo and Ikuto!**

**Ichigo****: . . .**

**Ikuto****: . . .**

**AnimeKoneko****: Well, it looks like they're a bit camera shy at the moment, but no worries, let's go on with the story!**

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><p>The pink- headed girl sighed with relief when the school bell rang, signaling the end of another period. Gathering her books and pencil case, she left the classroom feeling rather down and disappointed with life. This girl is none other than Ichigo Momomiya, also the famous 'protector of Earth,' Mew Ichigo.<p>

It was just another normal school day for the 16 year old as she slowly made her way to the next class. Sitting down, she noticed a few boys staring at her, but Ichigo ignored them completely and tried to concentrate on the lesson. The reason why the former Mew is being so cold and closed-up is because the previous guy she had dated, Aoyama, had dumped her for another girl.

The pinkette had been devastated and had vowed then and there never to trust another boy ever again. It probably sounds very silly. Aoyama was just one guy, but to Ichigo he was THE guy. She had thought that they could have a future together, as husband and wife, but Aoyama had broken her heart and forgetting him and moving on was proving to be a massive challenge.

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><p><span>AFTER SCHOOL<span>

Ichigo walked down the sidewalk, her head lowered, when something inside her just clicked.

_I don't have to be a depressed wreck just because one guy dumped me. I can still be happy without a boyfriend._

The cat girl straightened and started walking with determination showing in each step.

_Boys are just a waste of time anyway. I don't need a boyfriend to be happy. A broken heart is not something that I want again._

She suddenly spotted a blue figure steadily making his way toward her. Ichigo recognized the figure as a boy and turned her head the other way as he passed her. The boy gently brushed her as he passed and Ichigo shrieked in surprise when something shocked her.

She jumped away from the blue-headed boy and saw his confused expression. Ichigo stared at him wide-eyed when she noticed how handsome he is. The boy stared at his arm with a puzzled look.

_He must have felt that electrical shock as well, _she thought.

All Ichigo's stubbornness and hate for boys returned, her moment of ecstasy completely forgotten.

"Don't you know about static electricity?" she said with a snippy voice. A dumbfounded look clouded his face. Ichigo snorted and continued walking, ignoring him the rest of the way. Ikuto stared after her and then looked down at his arm again.

_I don't think that was static electricity,_ he thought. The invisible force that had traveled through his arm was quite painful, but he just shrugged and started walking again.

_What a peculiar girl . . ._

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><p>The next morning, Ichigo hastily brushed her teeth and quickly changed into her school uniform. She had overslept again and mentally scolded herself while getting ready for school.<p>

_I can't believe I overslept again. Typical! I have to be careful or this will become a permanent habit._

She raced down the stairs and called a quick farewell to her parents. Gathering every last drop of energy she had left, Ichigo ran the rest of the way, not stopping till she had reached the school gates.

_I made it_, she thought when she heard the school bell.

_Just in time too._

"Everybody, please take your seats," the teacher said when Ichigo entered the classroom. "We have a new student with us today."

_A new student!? _Ichigo thought, filled with excitement. _I hope it's a girl. I would love making a new friend._

She craned her neck, trying to see above her classmates' heads. Her eyes glimpsed white and blue and she immediately knew that it was no girl, but instead a boy. Ichigo rolled her eyes and stared out of the window next to her instead.

"Class, this is Ikuto Tsukiyomi. He is a transfer student, so please welcome him warmly and make him feel at home."

Ichigo's eyes widened when she heard a gasp and several urgent whispers. She looked up again and nearly fell out of her chair when she recognized the new student immediately.

_It's the same boy that had shocked me yesterday._

Ichigo gasped when the teacher motioned to a chair that was vacant beside her.

_Oh no! Please not next to me! _she mentally screamed, but Ikuto nodded and made his way to the open desk. Ichigo tried hiding her face with her hand and sighed with relief when the boy didn't even seem to notice her.

She heard many girls sigh with wonder when they had the chance to look at him more closely. Ichigo took a quick peak and felt her heart rate quicken.

_This boy is definitely very handsome. He almost looks like a model._

The teacher asked everyone to open their workbooks and complete an exercise.

"Oh Ikuto. You probably have no idea what's going on," the teacher said, his eyes scanning the classroom. "Umh, Miss Momomiya. Will you please explain the work to him. Thanks."

Ichigo froze.

_Why me!?_

She took a deep breath, turned around in her chair, so that she was facing the strange boy and grabbed his book.

"Well . . . umh . . . it's kind of hard to explain . . . umh . . . you have to multiply here and then . . ."

She was interrupted when the boy gave a loud cough.

"Don't worry. I know how to do it already. I also learned it at my old school."

Ichigo stared at him, fire flaring in her brown eyes.

_Why did he take so long to tell me? I made a complete fool of myself. I bet it wasn't an accident!_

She pushed the book into his arms, rather roughly, faced the right way again and continued with her work. Ikuto kept staring at her for a while, wondering what he did wrong. He shrugged it off after a while and also continued with his own work.

An awkward aura covered the two the entire period and Ichigo sighed with relief when the bell rang.

_I thought I was going to snap!_

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><p>The rest of the day went by rather quickly. She had managed to avoid the boy throughout the entire school day. The boy had decided to keep out of her way and had taken seats that were as far away from her as possible. Ichigo smiled when Masha, her alien detector, started circling her head.<p>

"You're my only real friend," Ichigo said patting his head. "Even though you're a robot."

It was true that Ichigo and the rest of the girls were still friends, but they had started drifting apart. Zakuro had to go overseas for a photo shoot, Mint has a ballet recital somewhere in England, Pudding is visiting her father in China and Lettuce had won a tour competition of some sort. Ryo and Keiichiro had agreed that she don't have to work at Café Mew Mew anymore.

Since the aliens have left with the Mew Aqua to restore their planet, there had been no threats. Ichigo missed being a Mew. She still had her Mew pendant and Masha, but those two things where the only reminders of her Mew days.

Ichigo halted in her tracks when a loud noise sounded from somewhere behind her. Her eyes stretched wide when a black figure with a red cross on its head suddenly appeared in front of her. All her instincts told her to run away, but she somehow saw this strange creature as a threat.

"Transform, Ichigo! Transform!" Masha yelled. Ichigo had never seen anything like this before and she hadn't transformed in a very long time.

_But the aliens are gone? Could it be that they have returned to destroy the planet after all?_

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><p><strong>I'm gonna stop here for now, but I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as possible. <strong>

**Ichigo****: What! Masaya broke up with me!**

**AnimeKoneko****: Yeah . . . but trust me when I say, Ikuto is much better than that tree hugger.**

**Ichigo****: BOO YOU!**

**Ikuto****: . . .**

**Please review! And if you have any questions about the story, don't hesitate to ask me. I will answer any question you have, but please just let me know if it's a question you want answered and not just a rhetorical one. Thanks!**

**AnimeKoneko Out!**


	2. Two konekos

**AnimeKoneko is back and ready to continue with the story.**

**Ikuto: It's about time. We were starting to think that you had abandoned us.**

**AnimeKoneko: I haven't been away that long.**

**Ichigo: Yes, so shut up, Ikuto!**

**Ikuto: *Pulls one of Ichigo's pigtails***

**Ichigo: Ouch! You idiot! *Transforms and attacks Ikuto***

**AnimeKoneko: Okay . . . let's just continue.**

**Ichigo: And thank you Nikaru12 for the review . . . Ow! That was my tail!**

**AnimeKoneko: Chapter 2 everybody! And remember: I DO NOT OWN!**

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><p>Ichigo started walking towards the strange creature, but she had hardly taken a step when someone grabbed her arm, pulling her back. The cat girl yanked her arm free and immediately turned around, coming face to face with a blue-haired boy.<p>

"What do you think you're doing?" Ikuto said. "It's dangerous here."

Ichigo snorted. "I can tell you the same thing."

She didn't give Ikuto time to reply and instead ran to the enemy's location. Yoru appeared beside the lynx boy.

"You must character change-nya."

Ikuto didn't say anything and just nodded in agreement. In the meantime, Ichigo had also activated her transformation.

"MEW MEW STRAWBERRY. METAMORPHOSIS!

"MY OWN HEART: UNLOCK!" (If you guys want, you can check out this video I found on Youtube: ** watch?v=mFSyGBZoYGI, **it's the two of them transforming together. PS: I don't own the video)

Once their transformations were complete they were both looking very different.

Ichigo's hair and eyes have turned bubblegum pink and she had grown black cat ears and a tail. Her tail has a dark pink ribbon tied around it with a bell. Her hair is let down and is slightly curlier. She wears a short light pink dress with matching arm garters and a leg garter on her right thigh, along with a choker around her neck. Her gloves are dark pink that reaches to her wrists. Her boots are dark pink with black laces and reaches to her knees. She has dark pink lace, lining the top of her dress and the top and bottom of her arm garters, leg garter, and her choker. Her choker also has her Mew Pendant dangling from it.

Ikuto had grown black cat ears and a cat tail and wore a short navy top with long navy pants. He also wore gloves on his arms with metal claws on his right hand. His collar is also in an upright position, hiding his chin.

Both of them gasped when they noticed each other's new appearances. Especially the cat ears and tail part. Ichigo was shocked to see another person with cat features, especially the person being a boy. Ikuto's eyes were wide, betraying how surprised he is that another cat person even existed.

_Is this the character that she wants to be?_

The lynx boy looked around but didn't spot any charas, only a weird pink, fluffy creature that circled Ichigo's head. That was no chara. He was very confused and just kept staring at her.

Although Ichigo was surprised, her gaze hardened and she saw this boy as a possible threat, maybe even an alien.

_That must be the only explanation, right?_

She turned her back on him and hissed over her shoulder.

"Don't get in my way."

Ikuto didn't answer and just kept staring at her. Ichigo snorted and jumped into the air, wanting to land a blow on the little creature's head from above. She extended her leg and landed on the big red cross, that's located on the black figure's head, with a loud thud. The Mew's eyes immediately started to water as pain shot through her entire leg. It was excruciating!

Ichigo landed on the ground, grabbed her injured leg and started jumping around on one leg (the leg that is not injured of course)

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" she hissed through gritted teeth. "That alien's head is sure hard-nya!"

Ikuto smiled at the funny sight and Ichigo shot him a glare, but the lynx boy didn't even flinch and just widened his grin. The pink Mew took a deep breath and called for her weapon.

"Strawberry bell!"

"Why aren't you fighting-nya?" Yoru asked. Ikuto smirked.

"She seems capable of defeating it."

Ichigo was now holding her weapon out in front of her, pointing it straight at her enemy. But before she could call the familiar words, the little creature gave a huge grin and floated higher.

"HATE!" It screeched, releasing a purple force that clashed into her, sending her crashing against a fence. Ichigo screamed as her body made contact with the hard wood and slithered down into a heap on the ground.

"Now?" Yoru asked when he noticed Ikuto's shocked and worried expression.

"Yes," Ikuto said preparing to jump when he felt someone push him out of the way. His eyes widened when he saw Ichigo jumping into the air again, her weapon in her hand.

_Is this girl crazy? _Ikuto thought. _That was a pretty hard hit._

Ichigo yowled and started hitting the creature with her strawberry bell, specifically aiming for the cross on its head. Something told her that was its weak spot.

The cross on the figure's head started cracking and Ichigo gave a satisfied smile. She stepped on the creature's head and used it to push herself higher into the air. Twirling with her arms extended on either side, a bright light formed around her. She lifted her bell above her head and screamed,

"Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!"

Different colours appeared out of her weapon, heading straight for the X-figure. It screeched and then vanished altogether, leaving in its place a white egg with distinctive golden markings. The egg flew away at a fast speed and Ichigo watched it go with confusion in her eyes.

_Weird, _she thought when she planted her feet on solid ground once more. Her weapon disappeared and she stood with her back facing Ikuto.

"What are you?" she asked, not looking behind her. "Since you have appeared, strange things had started happening."

When Ikuto didn't reply, she continued.

"Is that egg that had just flown away dangerous? Can it hurt somebody?"

Ikuto didn't answer and just kept staring at her. Ichigo growled with annoyance and spun around rapidly, her hands clenched into fists.

"Answer me, dagnabbit!"

The cat girl froze when Ikuto came closer, making the gap between them shrink more and more. She backed away until her back touched the wall behind her. Ikuto smirked and extended his hand to lightly touch her cat ear. All her instincts told her to wipe that grin off his arrogant, but handsome face. But Ichigo's heart told her otherwise.

The Mew allowed Ikuto to touch her ear. He smirked when he felt how warm they are.

"Well, they're definitely real," he said, flicking her nose. He loved teasing her and grinned when he saw how angry she looked.

"Of course they are real!" she said, pushing him away. "And who do you think you are, just touching me whenever you feel like it!? And I know you're an alien, so you can stop pretending."

Ichigo jumped onto his back and started pulling his cat ears, trying to get the 'disguise' off. Ikuto shrieked in pain when the Mew gave a strong yank. It felt as though his head was being pulled off his shoulders.

"Come on, alien ears. Show yourself!"

Ikuto started running around in circles with the crazy cat girl still clinging onto his back, refusing to let go. She also started pulling his face, making him yell when her claws dug into his delicate skin.

"Reveal yourself, alien!" Ichigo ordered, pulling his hair.

"I'm no alien," Ikuto said, before his legs gave way and he fell onto the cement floor with Ichigo on top of him. The Mew gasped and tried to get up, but was forced back down when Ikuto wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her close.

"What are you doing?!" she shrieked when she noticed how close her face was to his. Ichigo didn't look into his eyes, her face turned, trying to get up.

"You sure are one crazy girl," he whispered into her ear, before releasing his hold, allowing her to sit upright. Ichigo turned beet red when her hands landed on his stomach.

_This is just wrong in so many ways, _she thought. Ichigo crawled backwards until she was off him before she stood up. She didn't want him to look under her dress. The Mew's blush darkened when that thought came into her mind.

"Blushing about me, I see," Ikuto said as he stood up, dusting himself off.

"Of course not, you arrogant boy!" Ichigo said angrily. "Doing what you want is still not okay!"

"Oh?" Ikuto said questioningly as he lowered his head to look her in the eye. "But I bet you enjoyed every second of it."

Ichigo felt her face burning up when she realized that Ikuto's spoken words might be true. Ichigo crossed her arms in front of her chest and turned around with a last 'hmph'.

"I'm going home," she said in a snobby tone, slowly walking away from the lynx boy. Ikuto chuckled when he lost sight of her, shaking his head.

_That girl is something._

His character transformation dissolved and Yoru appeared in front of him.

"What was that all about-nya?"

Ikuto grinned and patted the chara on its head, ruffling its fur.

"I just have a feeling that that girl is very special."

Ikuto looked over his shoulder again, contemplating if he should follow her or not. It would be convenient to know where she lived. He made up his mind and character changed. Now, only his cat ears and tail appeared. Ikuto jumped onto a branch above his head and held onto the tree's trunk while searching for something pink.

He did spot dark pink hair and came to the conclusion that she must have also detransformed. The lynx boy looked at the path that she had followed more closely, wanting to remember it. Ikuto jumped onto the ground again and started following her invisible trail.

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><p><strong><span>Ichigo<span>: You're gonna follow me home!? Blegh!**

**Ikuto: Don't be so stubborn. We all know you can't resist me.**

**Ichigo: *Slightly blushing* Idiot.**

**AnimeKoneko:**** Come on, Ichigo. Admit it.**

**Ichigo: *Turns her back on the duo* I'm not speaking to either of you two.**

**Ikuto: Please review, or else I might follow you home as well.**

**AnimeKoneko: Now you know they won't review! *Glares at Ikuto***

**AnimeKoneko Out!**


	3. You are mine!

**Chapter 3 is complete! Thanks for the reviews KonekoLover and Sun Wukongoku.**

**Ikuto****: *Snores***

**AnimeKoneko****: *Sweatdrops* Why is Ikuto sleeping?**

**Ichigo****: You know cats. They have to get their mid-morning nap. Which reminds me . . . *Curls up into a ball***

**AnimeKoneko****: Looks like I'll be introducing this chapter alone. What a pain . . .**

**Disclaimer****: I DO NOT OWN SHUGO CHARA OR TOKYO MEW MEW! ENJOY!**

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><p>Ichigo sighed with relief and plopped down onto her bed, exhausted.<p>

_What a day!_

She thought back to the strange black creature that had appeared out of nowhere.

_Weird. . . I've never seen anything like that before._

Her eyes narrowed when a picture of the cat boy flashed into her mind.

_He did transform, so maybe he isn't the one that had created that thing._

She sat upright.

_He might know what it is. After all, he did arrive when that threat appeared as well. He might have known its presence. _

Ichigo lowered her gaze, feeling guilty when she remembered her unlady-like behaviour.

_I don't know what came over me. _

But her eyes turned dark when she thought about the way HE had treated her. He was very arrogant, thinking he can do whatever he likes. Ikuto's daring statement repeated itself in her head.

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><p><span>FLASHBACK:<span>

Ikuto lowered his head to look her straight in the eye.

"But I bet you enjoyed every second of it . . ."

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><p><span>PRESENT TIME<span>:

Ichigo just looked down at the ground, her gaze unwavering. She realized that what he had said might be the truth. The pink-haired girl gave a dramatic sigh and fell back down again, curling into a ball.

_He was very handsome, but . . . I had vowed to ignore boys . . ._

She shut her eyes tightly.

_Even handsome ones. He might just be another fake._

Ichigo didn't ponder the situation any longer when her eyelids started to get heavy and she slowly closed them, surrendering to sleep.

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><p><span>IKUTO'S POV<span>:

_What's she doing?_

Ikuto sat in a tree, looking through Ichigo's balcony door. He had followed the cat girl to her house, wanting to know where she lived, but when he got there, he decided to spy on her, wanting to know what another feline's life is like. (**AnimeKoneko: Stalker! XD**)

The lynx boy stared at her with a raised eyebrow. It looked as if she was having a mental argument with herself. Falling down on her bed twice, looking down as if the world around her was going to end soon. _I wonder what's going through her mind._ (**If only you knew, Ikuto.**)

He looked up at the sky instead, glimpsing every beautiful star. It was a wonderful night and being a cat, Ikuto loved being outside on such nights.

He stood up on the branch when he realized that she had fallen asleep. Although he wasn't quite sure if she was in dreamland, Ikuto still seized the chance and jumped down from the tree onto the ledge of the balcony. Yoru floated next to him, looking worried.

"What are you doing-nya? What if you get caught?"

Ikuto didn't answer. He jumped down from the ledge and slowly approached the door, placing his hand on the handle. Yoru's eyes widened.

"Ikuto! That's a bad idea-nya!"

But the lynx boy ignored him and pulled the door, silently praying for it to be unlocked. He smiled when the door slid to the left, allowing him access. Yoru started pulling his clothes, wanting to stop him from entering Ichigo's room. He groaned from the effort, but of course it was no use. Ikuto walked in, easily shaking Yoru off.

The cat chara followed him rather reluctantly, whispering warnings now and then. Ikuto walked closer to Ichigo, his cat ears twitching nervously. Although his footsteps were light, Ikuto still felt like a perpetrator, invading someone's privacy. The lynx boy lowered his head, his face only inches away from Ichigo's.

He took a deep breath, drawing in her scent. Ikuto's cat ears twitched again excitedly when he instantly recognized her feline scent.

_Amazing! She is a cat all the time, not just when she transforms. It's in her blood; her genes._

His eyes started to sparkle when he looked at her. There, in front of his own eyes, was someone just like him. He knew it sounded silly, but for some reason he really wanted to get to know this pink-headed girl better.

_Pink-headed . . . Amu . . . No . . . Ichigo . . ._

Ikuto sighed when he thought about Amu again. She was the first girl that had reached him, that had made him forget all his worries. She was the light at the end of a dark tunnel; a tunnel filled with despair.

But alas, he knew that they couldn't be together. She was much younger . . . and besides . . . there was already someone else that had caught her attention . . . and it definitely wasn't him.

Ikuto lifted his hand, allowing it to hover over the sleeping cat girl's head. He cautiously started lowering it causing Yoru to jump and cling on his hand from before. The little lynx chara looked at him earnestly.

"Ikuto, we should go."

Ikuto's eyes widened and he pulled his hand back, not looking Yoru in the eye. He just wanted to touch her before he left, wanted to know how her hair felt, what she does in her free time, her life story . . .

The lynx boy looked down at the sleeping figure, a smile started forming.

_And I will find out everything about you, Ichigo. I will make you . . . . . ._

_fall in love with me!_

Ikuto's gaze hardened.

_Yes! I will make you fall in love with me. Nothing will ever separate us. I just have a feeling that this is how things are meant to be._

He lightly pushed Yoru out of the way, carefully grabbed Ichigo's hair with his one hand and lowered his head, planting a soft kiss on her forehead. After looking at her for just a moment longer, Ikuto spun around and walked to the balcony, not regretting his actions or thoughts one bit. Yoru followed him with huge eyes, not understanding what had just happened.

His master had just kissed a girl and he didn't even know her that well. The chara looked at him more closely and noticed an obsessed look in Ikuto's eyes.

_What's wrong with him-nya! He's not usely like this._

Ikuto placed one foot on the ledge, turning around once more to stare at her through the open door.

_Ichigo Momomiya . . . you are mine._

With that thought still echoing in his mind, Ikuto jumped over the edge and disappeared into the shadows.

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><p><strong>AnimeKoneko: Finished! How was it? Did you like it? Let me know if it was too short. *Looks down at the sleeping cats* Looks like these two are still asleep.<strong>

**Ikuto: *Snore***

**Ichigo: *Snore***

**AnimeKoneko: Well, they're in for a surprise once they finally wake up, especially Ichigo. *Evil grin* Wow! I just had a Tadase moment. Haha! Please send reviews!**

**AnimeKoneko Out!**


	4. Another new student

**Sorry for the long wait! School had kept me busy, but I finally managed to post the next chapter. Oh, and thanx again for the reviews, Sun Wukongoku and**** Ichito1485.  
><strong>

**Ichigo: Whhaaaa! You came into my room!? *Glares at Ikuto***

**AnimeKoneko: *Sweatdrops* Looks like she finally read the previous chapter.**

**Ichigo: Jerk!**

**Ikuto: *Shrugs* Don't blame me, blame the writer.**

**AnimeKoneko: Crap! Damn you, Ikuto! *Runs away from a murderous Ichigo***

**Ikuto: *Shrugs* AnimeKoneko doesn't own Tokyo Mew Mew or Shugo Chara.**

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><p>"Jeeeeeezzzz! Why am I always late for school!? This is becoming a habit!"<p>

The red head bounded down the street, only slightly managing to steer clear of pedestrians. Masha uttered several squeaks as he bounced around in her schoolbag. She hadn't gone to bed that early and had no one to blame but herself. Well . . . maybe not just herself. An image of Ikuto appeared in her mind.

_Ugh! I shouldn't be thinking of him!_

Ichigo erased that picture from her mind and tried to concentrate on the path in front of her. She quickly rounded a corner and gasped when something hard crashed into her, knocking her sideways till she fell down right in the middle of the road. The Mew slowly sat up and rubbed her head, feeling extremely dazed, hardly managing to distinguish anything.

A honking sound snapped her back to reality and her eyes widened in horror when she saw that a car was heading straight for her. She couldn't move an inch and watched defenseless as the vehicle came closer and closer. Time seemed to stand still when she felt strong arms lifting her up from the ground and carrying her safely to the other side. Ichigo narrowed her eyes and gasped when she noticed a familiar face: Ikuto!

The lynx boy was holding her bridal style, looking down at her with an unreadable expression on his face. Ichigo blushed madly and as quick as lightning jumped out of his arms, her back turned to him, looking downwards. Her heart was pounding against her chest. Touching her face, Ichigo realized how warm her cheeks are.

_Stop blushing! _

The pink Mew straightened and turned around stiffly, knowing she owed Ikuto a sincere thanks. She couldn't help but stare into his beautiful eyes, getting lost in their depths. It was hard for her to utter the correct words.

"T-thank y-you."

Ichigo looked down at her feet.

_Why do I feel so weird around him suddenly? Do I feel guilty for judging him so quickly? He did save my life after all._

Ikuto shrugged.

"Don't mention it."

He turned his head sideways and looked at the opposite sidewalk where the accident had occurred. The boy that had crashed into her shakily got back onto his feet and bent down to pick up his bike. Ikuto narrowed his eyes and with an expert leap he jumped right over the road and landed neatly in front of the stunned boy.

"Yo," Ikuto said, lowering his head to look the child straight in the eye. "You must be more careful while riding your bike. Someone almost died today."

Ichigo's eyes widened when Ikuto looked back at her from across the road. She tried to tell him that it was her fault as well, but she couldn't form the words. It was as if her tongue was knotted. The boy gaped at her and lowered his head, uttering an apology.

The lynx boy returned next to her side again when the boy had left, looking down at her out of the corner of his eye. Ichigo felt very uncomfortable under his penetrating gaze and nervously bit her lower lip, not making eye contact with him.

"I can help you get to school faster," Ikuto said, Yoru appearing beside him. "But it might get bumpy along the way."

Ichigo hardly listened to him, her eyes fixed on the strange little creature that floated near Ikuto's head, looking at her with a playful gleam in his yellow eyes.

"Kawaii!" she shouted, grabbing Yoru and squeezing him with all her might, rubbing her face against his.

"Ikuto! Help me-nya!" The little chara struggled frantically in the pinkette's hands, but she was way too strong for him. The lynx boy looked on with a silly expression on his face.

"D-did you even hear what I just said?" he asked, sweat-dropping.

Ichigo's eyes widened when his words finally sank in.

"Oh no! I'm late for school!"

She gave Yoru a quick kiss, released him and bolted past Ikuto. The lynx chara dizzily made his way to Ikuto's side again, a faint tinge of pink visible on his cheeks. Ikuto shook his head.

"Come on, Yoru."

The chara snapped out of his day-dreaming and nodded.

"My own heart: UNLOCK!"

After his transformation, Ikuto ran after Ichigo, quickly catching up to her. She had no idea he was chasing her and yelped when she felt herself being lifted up into the air. Ichigo struggled in his arms and Ikuto winced when her nails dug into his skin.

"Sit still, Ichigo," he said through gritted teeth. Ichigo realized that he was wearing the same outfit as before, even his cat ears and tail.

Ikuto jumped over roofs, taking short-cuts. ( **Note: He's carrying her the same way as he had carried Amu)**

He grumbled from time to time about her weight and she just shot him a glare. The lynx boy smirked at her reaction. Ichigo had no idea why he was helping her: Saving her life and giving her a lift to school. She looked up at him, a blush starting to form on her face.

_He's actually really nice._

But when she thought about that statement, a picture of another blue-headed boy flashed into her mind.

_I had thought the same thing about him and look what happened. How do I know Ikuto's not just the same?_

She turned her face away and stared at the path in front of them, her troubling thoughts haunting her the rest of the way.

Ichigo sighed with relief when Ikuto placed her on the ground again, right in front of the school gates. It was pure luck that most of the kids were already in the school building, so no-one will spot Ikuto. She looked up at him shyly.

"T-thanks a-again."

He shrugged and lowered his head to look her in the eye.

"I don't mind," Ikuto said softly, causing an invisible shiver to go down Ichigo's spine.

_What is with this boy? He has the ability to put any breathing person in a trance. _

There was a lot of questions that she wanted answered from him, but Ichigo knew that now was not the time. With a quick farewell she spun around and dashed through the gates, not looking behind her, afraid he might notice how much she was blushing.

_This is almost how Aoyama made me feel . . . _

A lump formed in her throat when she thought about him again. She didn't want Ikuto to be just like him: A cheat!

* * *

><p>Ichigo sighed and plopped down onto the chair.<p>

_I made it! Thanks to Ikuto._

A loud caterwauling startled her. She looked up and saw one of her classmates standing in the doorway. The girl looked excited. Her eyes were sparkling and it was hard for her to stand in one place. Several others crowded around the girl asking questions.

Ichigo frowned.

_Did I miss something?_

"A new student will be joining us," one of her classmates explained when she noticed Ichigo's puzzled look.

_Another one?_

She looked sideways and gasped when she saw the empty seat beside her. Ikuto was missing.

_Where is he? Is he skipping school on his second day?_

Her thoughts were interrupted when the teacher came into the classroom. The class settled down, all of them looking at the door, waiting to see the new pupil. The teacher cleared his throat.

"I have received news that Ikuto Tsukiyomi won't be attending this school anymore. His parents have decided to place him in another school closer to their home."

_What!? That can't be right. He didn't say anything . . ._

Almost all the girls uttered sad sighs, unhappy that their Prince Charming had to leave them so quickly.

"Well, as most of you already know, we have a new student that would be joining us today instead," the teacher continued, beckoning with his hand to the open door. The children gasped when the new student revealed himself.

"I told you he was cute!" the same girl that had looked so excited a minute ago whispered to her friend. Ichigo frowned and looked at the boy more closely.

He had lively green eyes, messy brown hair and a huge grin on his tanned face. This boy was definitely cute and the pink Mew smiled while she looked at him. Her grudge against boys flew out of the window when she first set eyes on him.

"This is Souma Kukai," the teacher explained. "He's also a transfer student and would be a part of this class from now on."

The teacher told Kukai to take the now vacant seat beside Ichigo. She blushed like crazy when he made his way toward the empty seat. Before the brown-haired boy sat down, he turned sideways and smiled down at Ichigo.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Kukai."

He offered her his hand. She gulped before shaking it.

"Nice to meet you too. My name is Ichigo."

* * *

><p><strong>Well, finished with chapter 4. So sorry that it took so long, but I have a really busy schedule.<strong>

**I'll try to post chapter 5 as soon as possible, but if I take too long, please don't be too mad.**

**AnimeKoneko Out!**


	5. Bathroom accident

**Hey guys . . . I know, I know. I'm SOOOOO late!**

**But at least I didn't drop the story completely; I had just taken a little break.**

**Ichigo: ****A LITTLE break?!**

**AnimeKoneko: ****Ok, ok, a very long break. Bite me!**

**Ichigo: *****Bites AnimeKoneko***

**AnimeKoneko: *****Shrieks* Not literally, you psycho!**

**Ikuto: *****Opens his mouth to bite her as well***

**AnimeKoneko: *****Shields her arm* Don't you dare!**

**Ikuto: *****Shrugs***

**AnimeKoneko: *****Snorts* Shrugger.**

**Ichigo: ****Now, a shout-out to AnimeKoneko's newest reviewers: ****IchitoFan, ****BlossemHeart147852****, ThatstrangerXD ****and ****AnimeRulz8****! You guys are awesome!**

**AnimeKoneko: ****Definitely! And also thanks for your reviews: ****Ichito1485****, ****KonekoLover ****and ****Sun wukongoku****. I really appreciate it!**

**Disclaimer: ****I DO NOT OWN TOKYO MEW MEW OR SHUGO CHARA!**

**Alright, now without further delays, here is chapter 5!**

* * *

><p>Ichigo quickly opened her locker door and rummaged through it, searching for a certain book.<p>

_Where is it? Where is it? It must be here . . ._

Her heart nearly stopped when she realized that she had left the book at home.

_Oh no! My teacher is going to kill me!_

She slammed her locker door shut and irritably grabbed her schoolbag. Blinded with worry, Ichigo nearly crashed into someone. The cat-girl muttered a quick apology, but before she could walk past the person, he grabbed her sleeve.

"Wait, Ichigo. I wanted to ask you something."

She froze when she recognized the voice.

"Oh, hey, Kukai. I didn't notice it's you. What's up?"

The brown-haired boy shot her a huge grin.

"I just wanted to know if you would be interested in watching me play football after school. Because I just started here, the teachers want to test my skills and see if I can play with the team."

Ichigo blushed.

_I hardly know him, and already he is asking me to watch him play. _

She looked up and saw that he is grinning again, looking at her expectantly.

_Why does he grin so much?_

"Sure!" Ichigo said, smiling. "I'd love to."

Kukai flashed her a thumbs-up.

"Great! Soon, we'll have a huge crowd."

Ichigo sweat-dropped.

_So he's just asking a lot of people, so that there will be a big crowd . . . should have known._

"Well, see you then!" Kukai said, waving. He jogged past her to a small group of girls.

The pinkette sighed and slowly made her way to her next class.

* * *

><p><em>Oh no! I'm late!<em>

Ichigo ran down the corridor, not caring if she looked silly for running in the school building. She's late for Kukai's try-out. The teacher had punished her for leaving her book at home by making her stay an hour behind in class.

The cat-girl could already hear the whistle when she burst through the door. Panting heavily, she finally made it to the field. Brushing the hair out of her face, Ichigo saw Kukai waving wildly, giving her a thumbs-up, and another huge, toothy grin. The pinkette waved and mouthed "Good luck".

It looked like the try-outs haven't started yet.

_Thank goodness!_

Ichigo turned around and surveyed the area around her. She needed to find a comfortable spot to sit and watch the game. The cat-girl gave a happy purr when she found a perfect spot under a tree, not too far away from the field.

_Welcome shade!_

Seeing as though she had time before the game starts, Ichigo took out her writing book and a pencil. Her teacher had also punished her with homework: Lots and lots of homework.

_Silly teachers!_

Ichigo leaned backwards till her back touched the trunk of the tree.

While she was scribbling away frantically, a rustling noise behind her made her turn around. Ichigo frowned when she didn't see anything. The cat-girl was just about to continue working when a leaf landed on top of her head.

She frowned and looked up, narrowing her eyes when she saw a lot of blue in the branches above her head. Ichigo sighed.

"You can come down now, Ikuto. I know you're there."

A few seconds later, the lynx boy landed next to her gracefully, smirking. Ichigo glared up at him.

"It's not nice to spy on people, you know," she said, returning her attention to the book that was open in front of her.

Ikuto shrugged.

"What's wrong with spying on beautiful girls?"

Ichigo's face instantly turned beet-red.

"T-then you're a perv!" she said matter-of-factly, burying her head deeper into her book.

Ikuto grinned and plopped down next to her, moving closer till he was only inches away from her. The cat-girl became aware of his rather close presence and gulped. The lynx boy tried to see what she was working so hard on.

"Are you doing your homework?" he asked, moving even closer. (If that was even possible)

"Yes! And you're keeping me out of my work."

Ikuto chuckled and replied with a whisper: "There are way better things to do than work."

Ichigo's eyes widened and when she looked up, Ikuto gave her a wink. The cat-girl's face was at this stage so hot that it was a miracle it wasn't on fire yet. She gave the boy a hard shove.

"Gross! That's just disgusting!"

Just at that moment, Ichigo felt a raindrop splash onto her nose. She gasped when more drops landed on her. The cat-girl quickly threw her book into her bag and jumped onto her feet. She stared up in disbelief at the dark clouds that covered the sky.

_But it was sunny only a few minutes ago. The weather sure does change rather quickly._

Everyone was now running to get out of the rain. Ichigo spotted Kukai in the crowd, looking around frantically till his eyes met hers. He quickly ran to her, trying to shield himself with his jacket.

"I'm so sorry, Ichigo. The weather just turned."

For once Kukai wasn't giving her his famous grin.

"And look at you, you're hardly wearing anything."

Ichigo looked down at her school costume. She wasn't wearing tights and her dress isn't giving her much warmth at all. The cat-girl covered her body with her arms, trying to keep herself warm. Kukai wrapped his jacket around her shoulders. Ichigo gave him a thankful smile. It was at this moment that Kukai noticed Ikuto for the first time.

"Oh hey, Ikuto. Long time, no see."

_They know each other?!_

The lynx boy was staring at the duo with fire in his eyes. He gave the brunette a stiff nod and grabbed Ichigo's arm.

"I'll be taking her home," Ikuto said, staring Kukai down. "She'll need a warm bath and warm clothes before she catches a cold."

Ichigo blushed again.

_Man, what goes through this guy's head?_

The cat-girl opened her mouth to argue, but before she could, Kukai spoke: "No problem. I know you would never hurt a girl . . . just don't try anything."

While saying that last statement, Kukai's eyes became dark and menacing.

Ikuto narrowed his eyes.

"As if I would! You have some nerve openly accusing me like that."

Kukai shrugged.

"I didn't accuse you, I warned you."

The lynx boy snorted.

"Whatever! Come on, Ichigo."

She stared at the boy in disbelief.

"Don't I have a say in this? You can't just order me around!"

"Yes, I can. Now let's go."

Before Ichigo could complain again, Ikuto's cat ears and tail appeared and he quickly cradled her in his arms, carrying her bridal style again.

Ichigo was shocked that he would reveal his cat features just like that to Kukai, but Kukai didn't even look surprised.

_What's going on here?!_

Ikuto jumped onto the first house's roof, before she could even say 'goodbye' to Kukai. She heard a faint, 'Remember my warning!' from him, before he disappeared from her sight.

Ichigo didn't say a single word to Ikuto while traveling. He had made her really mad. She hated being ordered around like that. And he actually, in a certain way, kidnapped her.

_Yes, he's a kidnapper! A handsome, perverted kidnapper!_

* * *

><p>When they finally arrived at her house, she quickly walked to her balcony door and closed it with a 'bang', leaving Ikuto on the other side.<p>

"Stay!" she ordered, smirking.

_Who's being ordered around now?_

The lynx boy only shrugged, turned around and jumped into the nearest tree.

_Hymph! That'll teach him._

She looked down at her school uniform disapprovingly.

_A nice hot bath would be very satisfying right now, _Ichigo thought, recalling Ikuto's previous words.

While humming a catchy tune, Ichigo prepared a hot bath for herself. She quickly got undressed and climbed into the steaming hot water with a satisfied sigh.

_This feels so good!_

When Ichigo was ready to get out, she grabbed the nearest towel and wrapped it around her body, but just as she was about to open her bathroom door, she stepped on something squishy lying on the ground. The cat-girl screamed as her foot slipped and she landed on her bum. The towel slid off her and the shock caused her cat ears and tail to pop out. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, trying to ignore the searing pain.

Ichigo saw the towel lying beside her and just as she was picking it up, the bathroom door opened suddenly. The cat-girl screamed when she saw Ikuto standing in front of her, looking rather flustered when he saw her. She tried to shield her naked body with the towel, staring at him with round eyes.

"I-I h-heard you s-scream, and I thought . . ." Ikuto said, shakily.

"Get out!" Ichigo yelled, increasing the grip she had on the towel. Ikuto stepped out of the doorway.

"And close the door," Ichigo said irritably.

After Ikuto closed the door, the pinkette shakily got to her feet, her heart pounding so hard and fast, she could hear its beats ringing in her head.

_Did he- did he see me!? What if he did? Oh my, what do I do?!_

She readjusted the towel and slowly opened the door. Ikuto was sitting on her bed. His cheeks became red when he saw her.

"I'm sorry, Koneko-chan. When I heard your scream, I thought something bad had happened to you . . ." He felt very awkward and just looked down at the ground.

_Koneko-chan? The only person that had called her that was . . ._

"I slipped and fell," Ichigo explained, holding the towel tightly, afraid it might slide down or something.

"Oh," Ikuto said, standing up. "I'm so sorry."

He walked to her balcony door and opened it, but before he walked through it, Ichigo asked, blushing madly, "Did you see anything?"

Ikuto smirked and grinned seductively.

"Maybe, maybe not."

Before Ichigo could reply, the dark head jumped onto the balcony ledge and into the tree, leaving a red-faced girl staring after him.

Ichigo stomped her foot.

"That boy!" she hissed.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Ikuto: <strong>**Did I really see her naked?**

**AnimeKoneko: *****Evil smile* What do you think?**

**Ikuto: ****Sweeeeet!**

**Ichigo: ****You guys are so gross!**

**Please leave a comment everybody. Till next time.**

**AnimeKoneko Out!**


	6. Misunderstanding

**Hehe, very late update. (Gomen, gomen, gomen, gomen!)**

**So to make up for that, I made this chapter extra long, and decided to reply to my reviews from now on.**

**Review time!**

**AngelLaNelle****:**** Thanks so much for pointing all that out. All your questions are things that I forgot to take in mind. But I know how I will incorporate all those aspects into my story from now on. The whole Kukai not being surprised will be explained soon; Ichigo wasn't really paying much attention while Ikuto was carrying her, since she was still mad about the kidnapping thing and I totally forgot that people that don't have charas can't see one, but I managed to think of a way to fix that. Thanks so much for your insight. You really saved me there.**

**Guest:** **Thank you! Your review put a smile on my face. About the Kisshu thing . . . I'm not so sure about that, but let's see where this story takes me.**

**Sun Wukongoku:** **Hehe, I'm glad you thought it was funny. I'm not always that good at being funny in a story. Thanks for your support. I really appreciate it.**

**IchitoFan****:** **Thanks! And yeah, if that happened to me, I wouldn't be able to show my face for a month. Thanks for reviewing and sorry for the wait.**

**Drakengel20****:** **I also think this story has turned out pretty well, and I have so many ideas to take this story to the next level. Thanks for taking the time to review.**

**Betareader: ****Wow! It's nice to hear those words from a Betareader. I also love boy rivalry over a girl. It makes a story interesting in my opinion. Thanks for the review!**

**HoneyWing****: I'm so glad this chapter was funny, cuz that was my intention after all. Since you guys also love the funny aspect so much I think I will try to add more similar chapters. Thanks for your support.**

**Thanks so much guys for your awesome reviews. It's these reviews that have kept me intrigued to continue this fic.**

**I will let Ichigo do the disclaimer now.**

**Ichigo:** ***Clears her throat* AnimeKoneko, does not own . . .**

**Ikuto:**** . . . Shugo Chara or Tokyo Mew Mew in any way.**

**Ichigo:** **Dang it, lynx brat! I wanted to say that!**

**Ikuto:**** BRAT!?**

**Ichigo:**** And don't forget: Idiot, pervert, pshyco, moron . . .**

**AnimeKoneko:**** *Sweatdrops* Hope you guys will enjoy this chapter.**

**Ichigo:**** And also, Merry Christmas!**

* * *

><p>Ichigo thrashed around in her bed, her eyes shut tightly and a few sweat beads forming on her forehead. She was gripping the sheets with clenched fists as if her life depended on it. Whimpers emitted from within her throat and she started gasping for breath: The pink mew girl was having a nightmare; an awful nightmare.<p>

She was running down an unfamiliar hallway, several portraits decorating the length of the surrounding walls. But what frightened her and caused her eyes to widen in shock was the fact that every single painting was Aoyama-kun. He was staring at her with menacing, almost evil eyes, and the more portraits she passed, the more terrifying they became.

"I have to get out of here," she gasped, sprinting down the long corridor, not daring to look left or right. Ichigo yelped in surprise when she came to a dead-end: A wall was blocking her only exit. She couldn't go forward, left or right; only back the way she had came.

_Do I really have to go through all that trauma again? _she thought, shivering as she remembered all those psycho paintings of Aoyama. But just as she was making up her mind to go back again, a black figure stood in front of her, blocking her last escape-route.

Ichigo wrapped her arms around her shivering body and backed away from the anonymous figure. She started pounding the wall with both her fists, desperate to get out and away from possible danger. Her eyes stretched wider as the stranger took a step forward, slowly making his way toward her, getting closer . . . and closer . . . and closer.

"Help!" she screamed, clawing the hard stone wall till she felt her fingertips starting to bleed. Suddenly a strong hand collided against the wall, only centimetres away from her head. Ichigo shrieked and spun around, her back pressed against the wall. The stranger's head was only a few inches away from hers, but she couldn't make his face out in the dark at all.

"Ichigo," he said, slowly tracing his finger from her eyebrow, down the length of her nose, across her chin, till he reached her neck, his other free hand still pressed against the wall. The cat girl gasped when she recognized the voice.

"Aoyama . . ." she started to say, but was cut off when he grabbed her throat, crushing her windpipe.

"Aaahh . . ." she breathed, feeling herself being lifted off the ground. Her legs dangled in the air, her hands gripping his one hand helplessly.

"Aoya . . ."

He suddenly smashed her against the floor, his hand still tightly gripping her neck. Ichigo's head and back collided against the floor with a sickening crunch. Aoyama-kun climbed on top of her and lowered his head till his lips were almost pressed against her ear.

"Ichigo," he whispered softly, the hold he had on her throat just getting stronger and stronger. The mew kicked her legs wildly, panicking as she couldn't breathe in or out anymore at all. The boy's whispers got louder and louder till he was screaming her name over and over, rocking back and forth.

_What the hell is going on!? This isn't like Aoyama-kun at all!_

Suddenly everything went black after Aoyama crushed her windpipe to splinters.

* * *

><p>Ichigo shot upright with an ear-splitting scream, grabbing her throat, uttering terrified whimpers as she inspected her entire body for possible injuries. With a shiver she brought her knees up to her chest, laying her forehead on top of them. She shakily wrapped her arms around her legs, squeezing them tightly.<p>

_What a horrible nightmare!_

Tears streamed down her face. The dream had felt so real; every single part of it. It was the first nightmare she had had of Aoyama-kun ever. Looking sideways at her cell phone on her bedside table, Ichigo had the urge to call Aoyama and hear his sweet, innocent voice again, and not that murderous, insane one she had heard only minutes ago.

_But he really hurt me, _she thought, balling her hands into fists.

_Will I ever be able to forgive and talk to him normally again?_

Ichigo sighed and laid her forehead on top of her knees again in frustration: She didn't know the answer to that question yet.

_At least . . ._

With her head still in the same position, Ichigo lifted her hand and slowly grabbed her cell from the table.

_At least I know I won't be able to forgive him . . . for now._

The mew decided to just hear him say "hello" and then she will end the call immediately.

_Just to make sure he is still okay and still . . . Aoyama-kun._

With trembling hands Ichigo dialled his number.

_Should I really be doing this?_

She struggled to fight down a lump that had formed in her throat. Ichigo slowly brought the device closer to her ear, holding her breath, waiting in anticipation for him to answer her call.

**The number you have dialled is unavailable.**

The mew released her held-in breath and ended the call before throwing her cell phone on the bedside table. With a dramatic sigh she fell backwards onto the bed, her legs and arms splayed out in all directions.

_He probably changed his cell number by now._

Ichigo turned till she was lying on her side.

_Doesn't matter. I don't really want to talk to or see him anyway._

Meanwhile, a certain blue-haired boy had been watching her from outside the entire time. He was quite worried when she had rolled around and gripped her bed like that; like she was in pain. Ikuto had almost charged into her bedroom when he had heard her scream in fear. If it wasn't for Yoru stopping him, he would have probably gotten a stinging clap from the cat girl.

_Was she having a nightmare?_

But the real question that Ikuto wanted answered is who was she trying to call so late in the middle of the night?

_And I know exactly how I will satisfy my curiousity, _he thought with a smirk.

Ikuto looked sideways at the little unsuspecting creature that was floating near his head.

"What, nya?" Yoru asked, knowing that look all too well.

* * *

><p>The next morning Ichigo opened her eyes to a bright Saturday morning. Throwing the blankets off herself, she waltzed to her closet while humming a happy tune. She chose a light pink dress with beautiful dark pink flowers as decorations.<p>

_A perfect clothing item for a perfect day._

She changed in her bathroom; too scared Ikuto might be spying on her if she changed in her bedroom. When she had finished the mew sat in front of her mirror, wondering what to do with her hair.

_Twintails? A single braided ponytail?_

Suddenly she snapped her fingers with a triumphant smile plastered on her face.

_Braided twintails! That will look cute._

With expert hands, Ichigo was able to finish up in no time.

_Perfect! _she thought, winking to herself in the mirror.

"Well, someone is in high-spirits today," a voice said from behind her. Ichigo's face fell, but she wasn't surprised at all to hear it.

"I knew you'll show up sometime today," the pink mew said, turning around with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Hoping you'll get the chance to glimpse more skin?"

Ichigo narrowed her eyes, waiting for another sincere apology.

"Actually," Ikuto said, revealing her cell phone. "I want to know who Aoyama is."

The mew gaped at the phone that the lynx boy had gripped firmly in his hand. She ran to her bedside table, her right eyebrow twitching dangerously when she realized her cell phone's absence.

"You stole my phone and invaded my privacy!?"

Ichigo charged at Ikuto, one hand balled into a fist.

"Why, you . . .!"

She swung her arm, wanting to hit the boy right in the middle of his face, but with a quick movement, Ikuto caught her hand mid-punch. Ichigo hissed and tried hitting him with her other hand instead, but Ikuto wasn't that stupid. The mew tried over and over again to land a punch, but to no avail.

"Just let me punch you," she said irritably, when she felt herself getting tired. But Ikuto just smirked and threw the phone to her. Ichigo gasped and managed to catch it with shaking hands.

"I don't care about the phone at all," Ikuto said lazily. "I just want to know who this Aoyama guy is. I know you tried to call him last night."

The mew girl looked down at her phone's black screen.

"That's . . . none of your business," she said softly, still keeping her head lowered. Ikuto looked at her sceptically.

"Oohh, really?" he said, smirking.

Ichigo gave a stiff nod and turned till her side was facing him.

"I must ask you to please leave my room now."

The pink mew gestured with her free hand to the open balcony door. She stared at the lynx boy with challenging eyes. When he didn't move an inch, Ichigo tightened her grip on the cell phone.

"Now!" she repeated, anger and irritation clearly recognizable in her voice. A sudden thoughtful look flickered across Ikuto's face, but was quickly replaced by a lazy shrug.

"Fine. This is your room after all."

He slowly made his way past her till he reached the door.

"But . . ." Turning around, a huge grin appeared on his face.

"I will still find out who that guy is, so don't just expect me to forget that."

Before Ichigo could reply, Ikuto was already over the balcony's edge and walking down the street. The mew shook her head and placed her phone on the bedside table with a sigh.

_Perhaps I should tell him. It won't affect me in any way. But . . ._

The mew narrowed her eyes.

_He can't just have it his way either._

Ichigo had the sudden urge to visit the park.

_I can't remember the last time I've visited that place._

An image of two people walking hand in hand suddenly flashed through her mind. She lowered her head, feeling tears starting to overwhelm her.

_No, no, no, _she thought, hastily wiping them away.

_My days of crying is over._

She put on her shoes and went down the stairwell to the front door.

"I'm off!" Ichigo shouted to her parents before exiting the house. Walking down the street one thought repeatedly went through her head.

_Should I really be doing this? It will only bring back bad memories . . . but perhaps good ones as well._

Focusing her gaze on a wood bench only a few metres away, her heart skipped a beat. Ichigo halted only a couple of inches away from it, gazing at the object with sad, longing eyes. She saw two individuals sitting, talking and laughing on the bench, snuggling from time to time and exchanging gifts.

* * *

><p>"Aoyama," one of them said, almost in a whisper. "Will you always be here for me and . . . love me?"<p>

The girl looked down at the ground, a blush clearly visible on her face. The boy smiled warmly and placed a gloved hand on top of her head.

"Always," he whispered back, pulling the shivering girl closer to him. The couple looked at the snow falling all around them, marveling in its beauty.

* * *

><p>The cat girl wiped away a tear after the painful memory. She slowly lowered herself onto the bench, extending her arms to touch the warm surface on either side. Ichigo sat there for a while, looking at a married couple with their kids and giggled as one of the toddlers came to her, offering her one his sweets.<p>

"Why, thank you," she said warmly, patting the little boy's head. The child waved goodbye when his mother called him. The mew waved back with a smile.

_Looking back, I'm really glad the other mews and I protected this world with all our heart. A lot of things on this planet were worth protecting and fighting for._

"Yo," Ichigo was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the greeting. Turning her head, she saw a brown-headed boy with a wide smile on his face standing next to the bench she was sitting on.

"Kukai! H-hey," she said awkwardly.

"Funny seeing you here. I see you also found my most favourite spot in the park," the boy said, looking down at the bench. Ichigo's eyes widened.

"_Your _spot? I-I'm sorry . . . I . . ."

She hastily got to her feet, but before she could leave, a hand grabbed her arm.

"I didn't mean it like that . . . stay . . ."

Kukai gave her a reassuring smile. The cat girl hesitated a bit, but after a few seconds she accepted his invitation.

"Just because I like this bench, doesn't mean I own it," he said with a giggle as Ichigo sat back down. The perky boy was also seated right next to her and she felt very self-conscious being so close to him.

"T-this was my favourite place as well . . . a while back," she said, looking out in front of her at nothing in particular. "Mine . . . and someone else's to be more precise."

She looked slightly sideways in Kukai's direction and noticed that he was staring at her.

"Aaahhh . . . sorry, I didn't mean to say weird stuff like that," Ichigo said, mentally kicking herself. But Kukai shook his head, still looking at her.

"I don't mind. It's nice to learn more things about other people." The mew smiled and nodded.

_He is really a nice guy._

"A-anyway," Kukai said, suddenly shuffling closer to her till their shoulders touched. Ichigo froze, feeling her face lit up with an upcoming blush.

_What's he doing!?_

"I just . . . uh . . . want to give you this."

Kukai gently took her hand in his and placed something small in the palm of her outstretched hand. She narrowed her eyes when she noticed that it was only a biscuit of some sort.

"A biscuit?" she asked, looking at him with question marks in her brown eyes.

"Yeah," he said, shrugging, his right hand scratching the back of his head in embarassment.

"I . . . uh . . . made it and I want . . . uh . . . you to be the first one to try it."

The boy shot her another brilliant smile. Ichigo looked down at the treat again.

_That's weird, _she thought. _Oh well._

She popped the tiny biscuit into her mouth, slowly chewing it, wanting to give Kukai her honest opinion.

_Not bad . . . there is an aftertaste though that tasted pretty weird, but I'm not a pro when it comes to baking and cooking, so what do I know?_

When she had finally finished eating the treat, she saw that Kukai was looking at her expectantly, waiting for her opinion.

"Not bad at all. But I _did _taste something peculiar . . . would you mind tel . . ."

_Oh my! I feel super weird._

She touched her head with her right hand: Ichigo had a massive headache.

"I-Ichigo?" Kukai looked at her worriedly.

"I just . . ." she said, her vision starting to get quite blurry.

_What the . . ._

Kukai gasped in surprise and fear when the red-headed girl collapsed forward into his arms.

"I-Ichigo!? Ichigo?"

He shook her shoulders and made her sit upright so her face was in front of him. The boy shook her again, but there was still no response from the girl. Kukai pressed his ear against her chest, desperately praying for some kind of sign of life. He sighed with relief when a faint heartbeat was heard.

_What happened then? Why did she suddenly go unconscious?_

His eyes suddenly widened.

_The biscuit. But that doesn't make any sense . . . maybe it was just the heat._

He looked around, trying to spot someone that might be able to help, but he didn't see anyone in the park or on the streets.

_I can't just leave her here and I don't know where she lives._

Kukai groaned in frustration.

_What a mess! My place it is then._

He carefully lifted himself up from the bench, his hands still gripping Ichigo's shoulders firmly. A faint blush appeared on Kukai's face.

_I hope nobody sees me like this._

The boy flung the unconscious girl's one arm around his shoulders and fastened his arm around her back to get her up from the bench safely. But he hardly gave one step forward when he saw something small and all-too-familiar making his way toward Kukai.

"Daichi!" Kukai said, while trying to get the "sleeping" girl in a comfortable carrying position. "Where have you been off to?"

Before the little chara could reply, Kukai noticed that Daichi wasn't alone.

"What's _he _doing here?" The brown-headed boy look at the small purple cat with venom in his eyes.

"He wouldn't stop following me," Daichi said, sounding irritated. "I tried to get rid of him all day."

Yoru just shrugged.

"I'm bored, nya," Ikuto's chara said matter-of-factly.

Kukai snorted.

"Well, now you can _leave, _thank you very . . ."

But before the boy could even finish his sentence, Yoru interrupted him with a surprised mew.

"I know that girl, nya!"

Kukai froze for a second and his gaze quickly shifted to the girl in his arms.

"Uuhh, yeah . . ." he said awkwardly. "Uhm . . . do you perhaps know where this girl lives?"

Kukai hated it that he had to ask Ikuto's chara for help, but what other choice did he have. There's no way he'll be able to find her address on his own, and taking Ichigo to his house didn't appeal to him at all. And who knows how long it'll take for her to wake up again.

Meanwhile Yoru stared at the mentally-struggling boy with a huge grin on his face.

"What will you do for me in turn for this favor, nya?" He looked at Kukai with a naughty gleam in his eyes. Suddenly Daichi bolted forward till he was nose to nose with the cat-chara.

"Kukai doesn't have to give you anything."

The boy gently pushed his chara to the side, staring Yoru down.

"I have a better offer. If you don't show me where Ichigo lives, then I'll be more than happy to tell Ikuto about your and other felines' plot to steal his catnip."

When the little chara heard this words his entire body became rigid.

"H-how do y-you know about that, nya?"

"I have my ways."

Yoru's ears and tail twitched in frustration. Looks like he's going to be happy with receiving nothing from the perky, tanned boy . . . for today.

"Fine, nya. But you better not tell Ikuto anything, or you'll regret it."

* * *

><p>"I-Is this the p-place?" Kukai asked, clearly out of breath from carrying Ichigo nearly 4 km.<p>

"Of course, nya. But what are you going to do with her now?"

While they were trekking down the street, it wasn't surprising that the cat-chara wanted to know what had happened to Ichigo and why she was "sleeping". Kukai had reluctantly explained the situation to the chara but had told the story in such a way that it did not seem like he was responsible for Ichigo's state. But Yoru had still looked at him with narrowed eyes.

_I sometimes desperately want to know what goes through that chara's head . . . same goes for his master, _Kukai had thought, shaking his head.

Back in reality, the brownhead, shifted his attention back to Yoru.

"Is there any way I can get into her room without using the front door?"

Kukai was definitely not going to take the risk of bumping into her parents. He wouldn't know how he will be able to explain Ichigo's unconscious state to them at all.

Yoru looked at him sceptically, wanting to ask Kukai for something again in exchange for his info, but thought better of it.

"She has a balcony," the chara said, closing his eyes with a smirk and pointed to his left. "But good luck getting to the door. As I'm sure you already know: You're not a cat."

Kukai chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"Have you forgotten? Your master is not the only one that can character change."

As the boy made his way to the balcony, Yoru looked at his retreating back with a frown; a mischievous glint in his yellow eyes.

Meanwhile, Kukai finally reached his destination, tilting his head back to look up at the balcony.

_It is very high up, but it still won't be a problem for Sky Jack._

He carefully placed Ichigo next to the trunk of a tree in a sitting position on the ground. Turning around to face Daichi, he lifted his hand and shot the chara a thumbs-up.

"Ready, Daichi?"

The little chara nodded determinedly.

"Ready."

_It's been a while since I have Character Changed._

"My own heart: Unlock!" Kukai shouted, closing his eyes as light started engulfing his body.

"_Character Change: Sky Jack!"_

After his transformation, Kukai kneeled down on his skateboard next to Ichigo and carefully scooped the unconscious girl into his arms, till he was holding her bridal-style.

"Okay, let's go."

Using his skateboard, the boy easily shot into the air and landed neatly on the balcony's ledge, shooting a brilliant smile as he did so. While he was jumping down the ledge onto the balcony floor, his skateboard disappeared.

With Ichigo still in his arms, bridal-style, he walked to the closed door, praying that it's open. He fidgeted with the handle on the door and breathed a sigh of relief when the door slid to the left, allowing him access.

Kukai cautiously walked through the open doorway, looking from left to right, making sure that the room was empty. Spotting her pink bed, he slowly walked towards it, laying her down on the soft surface with a sigh.

_She was starting to get quite heavy._

He stayed by her side a minute or two longer, looking her over and making sure she's okay and not seriously hurt in some way. Turning around with a nod, he gasped when he saw Ikuto standing in the balcony door's entrance, his gaze dark and menacing.

"What do you think you're doing!?" the lynx boy hissed. "Yoru told me you hurt Ichigo."

Ikuto walked closer to Kukai, shooting a quick glance in Ichigo's direction as he did so.

"What did you _do _to her!?" the blue-haired boy shouted, grabbing Kukai by the shirt near his chest with both his hands and lifting him up into the air a few centimetres.

"Calm down, Ikuto," Kukai said, sounding truly scared. "Do you really think I'll hurt a girl?"

But the lynx boy ignored him. Kukai screamed as Ikuto lifted him higher off the ground, spun around and flung him through the open balcony door. The brown-head skidded across the paved floor, but jumped to his feet immediately when he saw that Ikuto was advancing closer to him again.

"Calm down, dude!" he shouted, bracing himself as Ikuto towered over him. Kukai pushed the boy away and jumped over the edge of the balcony, gasping as he saw that Ikuto was following him. The blue-head balled his hand into a fist and swung it directly at Kukai's face. He managed to duck just in time, but flinched as Ikuto kicked him right in the stomach instead. Winded, Kukai collapsed backward onto the ground, his hands on his tummy.

"This had gone too far," he hissed through clenched teeth. "Daichi!"

"_Okay!_" the little chara said.

"Golden Victory Shoot!" the brown-head shouted. A fiery, golden soccer ball whizzed through the air, heading straight for Ikuto. But he easily dodged it, smirking.

"Yoru!" he ordered.

"Nya!" the cat-chara mewed.

"My own heart: Unlock!"

"_Character Change: Black Lynx!"_

Kukai's one eye twitched when he realized where this was going.

"Are you sure you want to fight, Ikuto? I really didn't harm Ichigo. She just fainted!"

_Man, I really hope what I'm saying is true._

"Instead of fighting, why don't we just talk this out?"

But the lynx boy didn't reply. He charged forward, heading straight for Kukai.

"Slash Claw!" he shouted, trying to rake his metal claws down the brown-head's body. Kukai fell to the ground and managed to roll away just in time, missing death by less than a hair-length. He winced as he felt a slight scrape against his skin. Pressing his hand against his wound, Kukai looked up at Ikuto with fire in his eyes.

"Are you crazy!? You nearly tore me to pieces!"

Ikuto slowly started walking towards the wounded boy again, his gaze looking insane.

"Ikuto! I'll show you that Ichigo is alright. Let's just go back to her room and . . ."

"Ichigo is mine!" the lynx boy screamed, picking up his pace and aiming a blow at Kukai's head.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Ichigo had finally woken up from her trance, but felt extremely lightheaded. She slowly sat upright on her bed, blinking her eyes a couple of times.<p>

_W-what happened?_

She looked down and lightly brushed her hand against her pink sheets.

_And how did I get on my bed?_

Ichigo searched her memories, trying to remember what had happened a while ago before she woke up in her room.

_Ikuto . . . memory . . . park . . . bench . . . Kukai! I was talking to Kukai . . . and . . . and . . . ugh! I can't remember what happened after that!_

She swung her legs over the side of her bed and stood up with shaky legs.

_What's wrong with my head? I can hardly think straight at all._

Ichigo narrowed her eyes when she heard peculiar sounds, screams and voices coming from outside her room near her balcony. The red-head walked to the open balcony door, feeling her heart rate quicken when she noticed that it was wide open.

_What the hell is going on here?_

Reaching the edge of the balcony, a gasp escaped her mouth when she saw the scene in front of her: Kukai and Ikuto were fighting each other like crazy, but what frightened her was the fact that Ikuto was winning and giving Kukai deadly blows.

_If I don't do something . . ._

"Hey!" she shouted, trying to make herself be heard above the clamor.

"Stop fighting!"

But it didn't matter how many times or how hard she shouted, the two boys couldn't hear her voice at all.

_I have no choice._

Ichigo turned around and bolted through the balcony door into her bedroom again. Quickly grabbing her pendant from her desk, Ichigo ran back to the balcony again. She lowered her head and gave the golden item a small peck with her lips. Closing her eyes, she shouted:

"Mew Mew Strawberry! Metamorphosis!"

. . .

. . .

. . .

_Aaahhh! Why is nothing happening!?_

Opening her eyes, she kissed the pendant again, this time more firmly, but still, nothing happened.

_What's going on? I don't remember this ever happening before!_

She bashed her pendant against the balcony's ledge.

"Come on, you stupid heart-shaped pendant! I really need you right now."

Ichigo suppressed an angry scowl when the pendant refused to respond to her plea.

_I guess I'll have to use plan B now. If I can't transform, then I'll just have to stop them in my human form._

Throwing the device back onto the desk roughly, Ichigo made her way to the bedroom door. Her hand hovered above the doorknob, but before she could touch it, the cat girl mentally shrieked as the knob turned on its own.

_Oh no! Someone's opening it from the other side, but . . . I don't think my parents are home and even if they are they would always ask permission before entering . . . _

She whimpered when the door finally opened and a strange boy with blonde hair and only a quarter of his face covered with a mask stood in the doorway. His mouth and his right eye (that wasn't covered at all) held a malicious grin. He was almost the same height as her, just a bit taller. He wore black pants with matching black shoes and a dark blue, buttoned-up shirt with the collar raised upward.

Ichigo gulped and urged her body to stop shaking.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?" she realized that her voice was shaking a bit. The reason for this was that she knew she won't be able to fight this dude if he decided to attack. She's extremely vulnerable . . .

_. . . and maybe he knew it._

This thought made her entire body start to shake uncontrollably and she backed away in fear as the boy started walking closer and closer to her.

_It's almost just like that nightmare I had . . . except this is definitely not Aoyama-kun at all._

"I-I don't know w-who you are, but I'm gonna have to ask you t-to leave."

When the boy didn't respond and just kept on shrinking the distance between them, Ichigo knew that she's going to have to make a run for it. She bolted to her bathroom, closed and locked the door.

But if this guy was an alien, then she knew that the simple door won't be able to keep him on the other side. An idea came to her when she saw the cabinet against the wall only a few centimetres away from the door. Climbing on top of it, she braced herself for the stranger to come bursting through the door.

But instead she heard the sound of the lock moving in the door and held her breath when she heard the "click" shortly after. The door was open.

The door swung open and the boy ran through the entrance.

_Perfect, _Ichigo thought, grabbing the head of the door and using the weight of her body to propell her forward, right through the entrance. As soon as her feet touched the ground, the Mew dashed out of her room.

She started heading down the stairway, but when she got halfway, she screamed in shock when she felt her legs being pulled. Ichigo landed on the stairs with a loud thud, groaning when pain engulfed her side. She was on her back now and widened her eyes when she saw the strange boy standing at the top of the stairwell, his right hand stretched out in front of him as if he was trying to summon something. Ichigo gasped as she felt herself being pulled towards him, up the stairs.

_His power is telekinesis! That must be how he also opened the door without putting a scratch on it._

"S-stop!" she screamed, desperately trying to turn herself around and grab one of the steps. She mentally cheered when she managed to get a good grip on one of the steps. The blonde boy scowled when he couldn't pull her any further. He tried lifting her off the ground instead.

Ichigo shrieked when she felt herself being lifted into the air, but the Mew was still able to hold onto the one step. Her body was in a vertical, upside down position now.

_Wait! Aren't I wearing a dress . . .?_

She briefly looked over her shoulder and breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed that her dress was also being pulled up, so luckily she wasn't flashing at all. But the boy was starting to get very impatient. He released Ichigo and she screamed as she collapsed forward, her dress falling all around her, and she in turn, flashed to the entire world.

"Aaaahhh!"

Ichigo quickly sat upright on one of the steps and pulled her dress down as far as it would go, blushing madly. Her eyes narrowed dangerously when she noticed that the boy was giggling softly to himself.

"P-pervert!" she yelled, sticking her tongue out at him. The stranger replaced his giggle with a smirk and started walking down the stairs toward her.

"Aaahh! Stay away!" the cat girl ordered, turning around and proceeding down the stairwell again. Suddenly her hair was yanked backward hard. Ichigo screamed, halted in her tracks and placed her hands on her head. The boy was using his power to keep her in place. Ichigo's eyes started to water as she tried to break free.

But it was no use. The blonde boy suddenly grabbed her braided twintail himself, pulling her closer to his body.

"Let me go!"

Ichigo elbowed him in the stomach. The stranger immediately released the girl and grabbed his stomach, groaning in pain. She started running again.

"You won't get away that easily," the boy hissed, using telekinesis again to pull her closer.

"Using your power isn't fair," the Mew said, struggling but not managing to break free. The blonde boy grabbed her shoulders when she was close enough. Ichigo tried to kick him, but he wasn't going to fall for that. He pushed her backwards till her back touched the wall. She gasped when she saw that he was getting a cloth out of his right pocket.

_He's going to try and knock me out! Well, not on my watch!_

Ichigo started thrashing around madly.

"Stop squirming!" the boy said. Suddenly Ichigo gave a huge jump, and since the two are almost the same height, it caused the stranger to fall backward with the cat girl on top of him.

"You're really getting on my last nerve," he said, grabbing the Mew's chest and pulling her forward till Ichigo's face was only a few centimetres away from his. The cat girl seized this opportunity and spit in his brown eye that wasn't covered by the mask.

"Aaahhh!" he shouted, trying to clear his eye with one of his hands. "Why you little . . ."

He rolled around till Ichigo was on her back instead and quickly pushed the cloth against her nose and mouth. The cat girl squirmed a bit longer before the drug took affect, knocking her out.

The stranger heaved a sigh of relief, carefully scooping her into his arms and carrying her bridal-style. He carried her through the front door to a vehicle that was parked right outside Ichigo's house. The boy paused when he noticed that a brown-headed boy with a weird costume and a skateboard in his hand was watching him. The brown-head was gaping at them and the blonde smirked at him, before placing the cat girl in the backseat of the car and climbing in after her.

The car pulled away with a squeal. A certain lynx boy had also saw the blonde carrying Ichigo in his arms and ride away with her. He felt his body getting cold all over.

"Ichigo," he whispered.

* * *

><p><strong>Shoo! Finally finished with the longest chapter that I had ever written. Sorry if the characters might have been a bit OOC, but I have watched Shugo Chara a really long time ago and I haven't watched all the episodes.<strong>

**Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this really long chapter. Hmmm . . . let's try to get to 35 reviews at least, before I post the next chapter.**

**AnimeKoneko Out!**


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